Deliverance
by The Soul of Light and Dark
Summary: She was trapped, cursed to live without a body by a vengeful Ninetails. He vowed to save her, but what he does not know is that this is not his curse to break. Can he overcome the failings of his heart? PMD. Rated K
1. Exposition

Deliverance

_Hi all. Soul here. As of this moment, __The Wind and the Rain __is currently on hiatus. Popular demand has called for me to write this story._

_Well, that and the fact that I absolutely adore this shipping._

-(000)-

Exposition

The first thing Ikubi noticed was the warm glow all across his body. It was like basking in the afternoon sun on a cloudless day. It was the sort of warmth that wasn't just felt on the skin, but under it as well; the kind of gentle heat that makes all the bad feelings just melt away, leaving only simple contentment. His heart began to race. Was it possible? Was she coming back tonight?

Without opening his eyes Ikubi gently strained his ears, listening intently. Gradually, the smile on his red beak began to widen even further. He could hear them, the way he always could whenever she came to visit him: the faint but unmistakable tones of crystal chimes ringing soothingly. He was almost sure now, but there was still one last test to make: he had to see. Holding his breath, hardly daring to believe, the adult male Blaziken slowly opened his eyes.

What he saw made his heart flutter like the wings of a Vibrava. He was floating in the center of a shining golden aurora that wavered and fluctuated slowly. As he watched, the shimmering liquid world of light began to slowly shift from rich, deep gold to bright vibrant cobalt. Soon it would begin shifting toward a sprightly forest green and then a fiery red. Then the cycle would repeat. Of course, Ikubi cared absolutely nothing for this. It took all the willpower he possibly had not to whoop with delight, for now he knew beyond all doubt: she was coming to visit.

Unfortunately, the fact that she was coming did not at all mean that she was here yet. It could take anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour for her to sufficiently acclimate to his mind and enter. This was, of course, sheer torture for Ikubi. Patience was not all one of his strong points.

After another ten minutes, Ikubi's grin widened even more, for he could see the faintest of outlines beginning to gradually appear in the space before him. At first, the details were completely indistinct, but the form was slowly becoming more and more clear, like a shape slowly emerging from a fading mist.

Within another five minutes, the translucent image of a beautiful woman with snow-white skin, forest green hair and bright garnet eyes was visible. She wore a beautiful, elegant white dress with green sleeves and an even more beautiful smile.

"It's been a long time, Ikubi," she said in a warm tone, her voice soft and pleasant.

"Much too long, Lily," he agreed, his tone matching hers.

"So, what horrible and unbearable truth about my life and my existence here have you come to tell me today?" he asked in a mock weary tone. Lily had visited him often in the past. However, very few of those visits had been purely to spend time with him. More often than not she had been the bearer of rather unpleasant news.

However, instead of laughing slightly as he'd hoped, Lily's face fell, and she seemed unable to meet his eyes anymore.

"I didn't enjoy telling you those things," she said quietly. "I didn't have a choice. I was the only one who could, and if I didn't, you never would have known what to do."

'Oh, great. Way to go, genius,' Ikubi berated himself silently. There he went, saying the first thing that popped into his head without thinking. Lily was a very sensitive individual. Of course she would react like this. He really needed to learn to stop charging ahead without thinking.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm really glad you're here."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, but eventually the soothing atmosphere and ambience caused it to melt away like the morning mist. Not for the first time Ikubi wondered whether Lily chose this setting for a reason. It was just so hard to feel anything negative here for any real length of time.

"You seem to have been doing well while I've been away," she said after a time. "Diamond rank, if I recall correctly."

"Sharp as ever," he confirmed. "However, I don't plan to rest until I have that Lucario statue sitting outside my font door. After all, given everything I've done for this world I think it's the least I deserve."

Lily laughed slightly at his words, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he actually believed what he was saying. He meant a lot to her, but she sometimes found it just a little trying having to deal with his arrogant attitude. He usually managed to keep it under wraps, but every once in a while it would let slip.

To distract herself from these somewhat dour thoughts she turned away to look into the heart of the aura. Soon she noted Ikubi standing next to her, and she could not suppress a smile. Whatever his flaws, he was the most important person in her life and she would gladly take him just the way he was.

"It's quite beautiful," he commented softly. "You really have an eye for things like this."

"Thank you," she said. "I like to use my emotions to help me create an image."

"And what feeling would this be?" he asked. She smiled gently.

"It's the feeling I get when I think of you."

He gave a small smile and put his arm around her shoulder. However, much to his dismay it passed straight through her body without any kind of resistance. This motion was not lost on her, and her expression darkened slightly. Every once in a while they would manage to forget that they were anything other than a normal couple. Every time they were forcibly reminded that a barrier that neither of them could ever pass separated them.

"Just once I wish I could put my arms around you and hold you," he said sadly.

"I'd love that more than anything," she replied, her tone matching his, "but I don't think that's ever going to happen." He angrily buried his fist into his palm.

"I wish I knew how to break this damn curse," he muttered. "Then you wouldn't have to suffer anymore. You don't deserve this pain. It's that spineless Gengar who should be trapped without a body."

"Don't think like that," she said. "Besides, I'm fine. I've learned to live with it, and anyway it's not so bad. I've told you that, remember?"

"Yes, that's right," he answered. He floated over to her and looked deep into her eyes, smiling softly. But he didn't feel happy. Her words might be light and carefree, but her eyes told the truth. There was pain there, the pain of starving to death for two decades without being able to eat so much as a scrap, being parched of thirst and unable to quench it. There was longing, longing to feel something, _anything,_ even pain, just one more time. There was loneliness, loneliness born of years spent in solitude, without a soul in the world to talk to.

'You've told me that,' he thought sadly. 'But you can never make me believe it.'

The visit didn't last much longer after that. Within an hour Ikubi's brain was already beginning to awaken.

"I'll be back again," she said as she began to fade away.

"I'll be waiting," he replied as he watched her go.

"I'll try not to make the wait long," she whispered just before she vanished completely. "Au revoir." A slight quirk of hers, that. She wasn't French in the slightest, nor did she have any kind of an accent. However, whenever she left she always offered her farewell as such.

"It's such a beautiful sounding phrase," she had once said. "I like to think it makes the pain of separation a little less."

-(000)-

Ikubi was fully awake within the next ten minutes. He slowly sat up on his little straw bed, basking in the warmth of the small fires set around the walls of his rescue base and reliving Lily's visit in his mind. It was a bittersweet memory, as they always were. Sweet because of the time he got to spend with her, bitter because this was all he would ever have.

Damn that Ninetails. Why did she have to be so vindictive? So the human grabbed her tail. So what? He could probably have done a lot of worse things than that. Now, if he'd caught her in a pit trap and started beating her with a stick, _that _Ikubi could understand. But grabbing a tail? It was like jumping someone from behind and shouting 'Boo!' Not really worthy of eternal damnation.

And if she absolutely had to have her revenge, why couldn't she have delivered it upon the one who actually deserved it? All Lily did was stand in the way to protect a scumbag who abandoned her in a heartbeat. Why didn't Ninetails just transfer the curse? She was perfectly capable of it. Granted, the human eventually got his, being trapped as a Gengar that pretty much everyone around these parts hated for one reason or another, but Lily was still suffering for no reason.

The more Ikubi thought about it, the angrier her got. What he wouldn't give to hold that fox's head against the wall and force her to break the curse. Then he could have Lily forever, and they could be happy. She would be his for the rest of his life, and every day would be that much more beautiful because she was there. If only Ninetails would let her go.

But why shouldn't she? Gengar had already received his punishment, and anyway now that Ikubi had fulfilled his role there was no reason for Lily to remain cursed. To keep her like this was just cruel, or at the very least absentminded. Surely she could be, ah, _persuaded _to undo the curse. And who better to do the persuading than the one Lily loved?

Yes, Ikubi resolved. That was his mission in life now. He would go to Mt. Freeze. He would force Ninetails to break the curse, painfully if need be. Then he could spend the rest of his life with the one he cared most about, and they could be truly happy together. Heartened by this resolution, Ikubi leapt to his feet and marched straight out the door, right past a rather groggy looking Swampert.

"'Morning Ikubi," Slag said blearily. "Hey, where are you off to?"

"Mt. Freeze," Ikubi said without even looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, okay," Slag replied. He turned to look at the entrance of the rescue base for a few moments, yawning hugely. Then he finally managed to register what Ikubi had said.

"Wait, what?!" he spluttered. "Did you just say Mt. Fr-…" but his voice trailed away to nothing. Ikubi was already out of sight, and he was just talking to empty air at this point. With a sigh Slag sank to the ground and leaned back against the doorframe, his face to the sky and his eyes closed. Ikubi had done some stupid things before, but heading out for Mt. Freeze without even grabbing the Toolbox? This, without a doubt, was the very epitome of hotheaded lack of forethought.

Fairly soon, Slag was aware of someone approaching up the road that led to the Friend Area Junction. After straining his eyes for a little bit he was able to make out a quadrupedal body covered with bleached white fur. The face was bald, revealing midnight black skin. Extending from the side of the head was a cruel looking black scythe. Soon, Dusk the Absol was within hailing distance.

"Hey," he said. Dusk wasn't one to waste his words.

"Hey Dusk," Slag said, still sitting.

"You look exasperated," Dusk observed.

"Ikubi," Slag replied by way of explanation. Dusk nodded. Not much else to say.

"What is he doing now?" the Disaster Pokemon inquired.

"He's heading off to Mt. Freeze," Slag explained. "Alone. With no supplies at all." Dusk said nothing for a moment.

"Will he ever learn?" he finally asked. "Arceus gave him a brain for a reason…I think."

"Have you ever known him to use it?" Slag asked. "Sometimes I think the reason Arceus gave him anything was so his head wouldn't rattle." Dusk glanced down the road that Ikubi had taken.

"He's not gonna come back, is he?"

"You have to ask?" Slag sighed and slowly got to his feet. "Well, I guess that means I'm in charge for the next three weeks or so. Come on, let's check the mailbox."


	2. Persuasion

**Chapter 2:**

Persuasion

The solid ice peak of Mt. Freeze gleamed fiercely in the brilliant midday sunlight, emitting a beacon of light as blinding as a lighthouse. The peak sat well above the clouds, so no snow fell upon the crystalline summit. It sat atop the massive glacier like an immense diamond, buffeted by arctic winds. In one facet of the diamond there was an inset hole about the size of a barn door, and it was to this hole that a small red blob was slowly climbing.

Ikubi slowly crested the final lip of ice and sat down looking very careworn indeed. He had regretted his choice of leaving without packing supplies within about a day of leaving. However, instead of taking the smart approach and turning back, he had mulishly plowed ahead, trusting in the fact that he would find sustenance along the way. He did in fact find enough food along his journey to survive, but just barely. Mystery Dungeons are known for many things, but being forgiving is not one of them. Ikubi had not eaten a proper meal once since starting out.

Unfortunately, not eating properly generally translated to having less energy than normal. Having less energy translated to poorer performance in various activities, such as fighting for one's life. Battles that Ikubi would normally have dominated utterly with one hand behind his back were now extracting a very serious toll on his stamina and physical integrity. He had bruises from as far back as Lapis Cave that still refused to stop aching.

Finally, Ikubi felt sure enough of his feet to stand up again. Clutching his stomach and groaning slightly, he slowly pushed himself into an upright position. Then, he walked slowly forward into the heart of the great diamond.

The ice chamber was exactly as he had remembered it: utterly barren. There were absolutely no decorations, pieces of furniture, or indeed anything of any kind to adorn the place, making it feel very much empty and unlived in. If this was not the epitome of the spartan lifestyle, Ikubi didn't know what was.

Ikubi glanced around quickly, but in all honesty this was rather pointless. The chamber was small enough to be seen in its entirety upon walking through the entrance. Ninetails was quite clearly nowhere to be seen. Of course, that didn't mean she was nowhere to be _found_.

"Ninetails!" Ikubi called out, perhaps just a tad harshly. The howling of the wind outside was his only answer. However, he had not come some 3000 miles or so to be turned away so easily.

"Ninetails!" he called again, more gruffly this time. Still there was no reply. "Come out! I know you're here!" Once again the echoes of his voice were the only things that broke the silence.

He was about to shout again when a bright flash suddenly lit up the center of the chamber. The burst of brightness was blinding in and of itself, but combined with the reflective quality of the walls the effect was one of total sight loss. However, thankfully the burst lasted only a few seconds, and when it receded Ikubi could see a beautiful fox through the spots on his irises. The sleek figure was covered in glistening fur that shone a very pale gold color, with eyes the color of carmine. Behind her head she bore nine majestic tails, which were fanned out behind her in a manner similar to a ruff. She held herself proudly, with an undeniably regal air, as beautiful and as proud as an empress.

"Hello Ikubi," she said in a perfectly measured and even tone, not seeming at all perturbed by the suddenness and slight rudeness of his arrival. "It has been a while. How can I help you?"

"I want you to break the curse you put on Lily twenty years ago," Ikubi said bluntly. Ninetails was silent for a short while at this, her eyes completely unreadable. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak.

"No," she said simply. That was it, just like that. She had said it as simply and uninterestedly as if he'd asked her if she wanted cheese with that.

"Excuse me?" Ikubi asked, sure he must have heard incorrectly. Surely she hadn't just flat out denied him like that.

"No," Ninetails repeated, still seeming completely unperturbed.

"No?" Ikubi repeated. "_No?_ I didn't come 3000 miles on a half empty stomach to hear 'no'!" He took an aggressive step forward. "I'm not in the mood for this, Ninetails. Break the curse."

"How far you have come and what you have suffered along the way is none of my concern," Ninetails stated simply. "The curse will remain." She turned around, breaking eye contact with him as a sign that the audience was over.

But Ikubi was not going to take no for an answer. He had set his heart on this, and he was not going to be denied by a puffed-up arrogant she-fox. Before Ninetails could make another move Ikubi marched directly over to her and grabbed her by the throat. He then dragged her across the cavern and shoved her head forcibly against the wall.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear," he said in a quiet and deadly voice. "Let me correct that. I came to see that this curse was broken. I have no intention of leaving until it is, and I'm willing to use whatever methods of persuasion I deem necessary to ensure this. Now, break the curse."

For a moment, Ninetails made no reaction of any kind. She did not protest her position, and she made no attempt to break free from Ikubi's grip. For a long while, the two remained stock still. Then, slowly Ninetails turned her head and looked directly into Ikubi's eyes.

In that instant, it took every ounce of willpower Ikubi had not to go weak at the knees. He wasn't even sure why, but there was something in those eyes that scared him half to death. It is said that the eyes are the windows into the soul. Whether or not that was true Ikubi suddenly got a feeling of immense power, and years beyond anything he had ever seen. He knew, without even knowing how he knew, that this was an ancient being that had seen and done things he could not imagine.

"Are you really so foolish?" Ninetails asked in a voice as hard as stone. "You come to threaten me knowing full well what I did to the one that you are coming here to release. Did it never occur to you that I might do worse to you?"

"Do you think I hadn't thought about that?" asked Ikubi. He hadn't. Of course he hadn't. Still, something told him that if he admitted the fact he'd be in for a world of suffering. If he played tough, he might be able to bluff Ninetails into doing what he wanted.

For a long moment Ikubi waited, trying to stay tough on the outside while hiding the fact that he was sweating a small lake on the inside. It didn't help at all that Ninetails was still staring at him with those frightening eyes. It felt as though she was looking into his very soul, and he was nothing more than an insect under a microscope to her.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Ninetails broke eye contact, looking away. Ikubi relinquished his grip, studying her. Her expression was past inscrutable; Ikubi seriously doubted that Mesprite herself would be able to tell what the fox was feeling. Then, she spoke.

"It's not a question of whether I'm willing to hel ot," she said calmly. "I cannot break the curse." Ikubi stared blankly at her.

"What do you mean by that?" he finally asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like," she replied. "I am physically unable to lift the curse that I placed on Lily."

"What?!" Ikubi exploded, his hands making the traditional 'are you insane?!' gestures. "Did you know this when you did it?!"

"Of course," Ninetails replied calmly. "What good are one's abilities if one does not even understand them?"

"So you mean to tell me that you punished an innocent soul knowing full well that you could never take it back?!" he roared.

"How was I supposed to know that Lily would step in to take the curse in her Trainer's place?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, I don't know," he pondered sarcastically. "Maybe it might have had something to do with the nature of her entire species!"

"I cannot help the fact that she is unable to suppress her protective instincts, anymore than I can help the fact that her Trainer chose to abandon her."

"Then I would have thought that-" Ikubi broke off. Ninetails' comment had reminded him of something.

"Wait just a moment," he said. "Lily once told me that when she took the curse you offered to break her curse. You said 'What would you do to save your friend's life?'. Why would you offer either of them false hope like that when you knew full well that what you offered was impossible?" he demanded, pointing an accusatory talon at the fox.

"Whoever said it was false hope? I told you that I cannot break the curse, but I never said it couldn't be broken."

"Then why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" he demanded angrily. Honestly, what was the point of being so roundabout?

"Because you are not supposed to know. This is not your curse to break."

"Why not?" he demanded. "Lily loves me. Why shouldn't I be the one to save her? Who is it, then?"

"Gengar," she stated. "It was his fault that the curse took hold of her. He must be the one to break it." Ikubi stopped short and stared at her at this.

"Are you serious?" he asked in an incredulous voice. "You can't be serious. That spineless Wurmple? He doesn't care about anyone but himself!"

"Regardless," Ninetails insisted. "It must be by his hand that the curse is undone. When he is ready to face his sins and accept his punishment, then the curse shall break."

"And how long have you been waiting for that?" he demanded. "How long have you been waiting for that coward to grow a backbone and man up enough to say he was wrong?"

It was only an angry outburst; Ikubi had just blurted it out in frustration. He hadn't really expected that it might do him any good. However, to his surprise he saw that suddenly Ninetails didn't look quite as self assured as she had been. Maybe he had an angle after all.

"How much longer are you going to wait?" he asked quietly. "How long has it been already; 15, 20 years or so? How much longer is it going to take before you see that he isn't going to change? If he didn't care enough to save her back then, what makes you think he'll want to do it now? How much longer are you going to make Lily suffer before you accept the fact that he's not coming?"

Ninetails was silent a long time, and Ikubi didn't dare break that silence. It was clear that she was thinking over his words, but beyond that her face was inscrutable. The minutes passed, and the silence was so absolute one could hear a pin drop. Finally, right as Ikubi thought he would go crazy if he waited any longer, Ninetails spoke again.

"I placed this curse because of Gengar's actions," she said. "I meant for the curse to be broken by him." Ikubi sighed with irritation and looked away. Honestly, now she was just being mulish.

"However," she continued, causing Ikubi to return his gaze to her, "perhaps that does not mean that he is meant to break it. I do not pretend to know the workings of fate. Perhaps you are right, Ikubi. Perhaps you are the one meant to break the curse."

Ninetails turned and began to walked toward the wall of her chamber. Ikubi followed, curious. Ninetails scanned the surface of the ice, apparently looking for something. Ikubi joined in the scrutiny behind her back, but as far as he could tell there was not much to see. It just looked like a regular old wall of ice.

However, apparently Ninetails could see something that he could not, because her eyes suddenly locked onto a point in the ice with laser-like focus. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and Ikubi could feel power beginning to gather around her. For perhaps a second nothing much happened. Then the ice wall split vertically and began to open in a smooth, flowing motion more akin to water than ice. Deeper and deeper the wedge burrowed into the ice, and by and by Ikubi began to make out something buried within the frozen wall. However, the ice distorted the image, and Ikubi didn't dare step forward or make any other movement for fear of upsetting Ninetails' efforts. All he needed now was for his only chance to slip away because he'd been too impatient to wait a few seconds. (again).

Finally, the whatever-it-was slipped out of the ice barrier, resting on a small pillar of blue crystal. Ikubi made to walk forward and retrieve it, but stopped when Ninetails did the same thing. Instead, he watched as she walked over to the object and picked it up in her mouth. She then turned around and walked back to Ikubi, offering him the object. He took it and studied it. It appeared to be a small crest made from an unknown metal. The shape of the crest consisted of nine white-gold tails spiraling outward from a central point.

"This is the Ninetails Crest," Ninetails explained. "Take this crest to the lowest chamber of Murky Cave and insert it in the appropriate location. If you are worthy to break the curse, then your trial will begin."

"I'm sorry?" Ikubi asked. "My trial? What do you mean by that?" Ninetails only looked at him with those inscrutable eyes.

Realizing that he probably wasn't going to get an answer Ikubi turned to leave, committing Murky cave to memory. He would have to get a guide when he got back to Pokémon Square.

"Ikubi," Ninetails called after him as he reached the entrance of the cave. He stopped and turned around to face her. She looked at him solemnly. "You may be worthy of attempting the trial," she said. "You may not. I do not know. What I do know is that I intended for the trial to test Gengar, not you. Even if you are given the chance, there is no guarantee that you have a chance at succeeding. Where Gengar would have succeeded, you may fail. Bear that in mind."

"Alright, whatever," he said dismissively as he left the cave. He didn't care what she said; he was going to succeed and he would save Lily. How hard could this trial be?


	3. Departure

**Chapter 3**

Departure

Slag was asleep. This was not really surprising, given that it was well after midnight. He was leaning against the doorframe of the Rescue Base with his head lolling haphazardly against his shoulder, a small line of drool running down his chin from his open mouth. He never really liked to sleep inside the rescue base because of all the fires lining the walls. The building was clearly designed to suit Ikubi's tastes more than his own. Normally he wouldn't even be sleeping near it in the first place. The nice cool shade and murky water of his swamp out in the Friend Area was where he usually went down for the night. However, since he was acting as team leader until Ikubi returned it was far more convenient to remain near the base, since it was there that most written requests and Pokémon in need of assistance went first.

Slag continued to snore heavily, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Swamperts were very durable creatures, so they could easily take a cheap hit in their sleep and retaliate upon awakening. However, since they tended to stay asleep until they were deliberately roused, they made terrible guards. A stampeding herd of Tauros could charge right past and they'd barely snort. Slag was no exception. He continued to snore with a drone rivaling a chainsaw even as a humanoid figure walked straight past him into the base.

Ikubi marched straight past the sleeping mud fish without as much as a sideways glance. Once inside the base he took a moment to look around, checking to see that the interior of the base was the way he had left it. Once satisfied, he then set about the task of bringing the temperature back up to his liking. Ikubi sighted the first of six fireplaces set around the perimeter of the wall, opened his mouth, and fired a scorching jet of flame at the small pyramid of logs. The dry wood instantly exploded into merrily crackling flames, as bright and as warm as if it had been burning for hours. Ikubi ignited the other fires in similar fashion, and soon the air was pleasantly heating up. When the temperature had reached an ideal 180 degrees or so Ikubi strode back outside and dropped his fist on Slag's head. While this would generally leave most people rolling on the ground clutching their skulls in sheer agony, to a Swampert it was the equivalent of a polite tap on the shoulder.

"Hmm…? Wur…?" Slag mumbled blearily as he slowly came to. He blinked sleepily as he looked over at Ikubi, who was already heading back into the base. "Ikubi?" he asked in a slurred tone. "When did you get here?"

"Five minutes ago," Ikubi answered, not even looking over his shoulder. He had picked up the Toolbox and was rifling through its contents vigorously.

Slag blinked slowly and looked up at the night sky.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" the blue Pokémon asked, sounding more resigned than anything else. This wasn't the first time he'd been awakened at an ungodly hour by his friend, and it generally meant one of two things. One, Ikubi was in a bad mood. Two, he was on a quest.

"1:34, if I had to make a guess," Ikubi answered. He had found what he was looking for, a ripe red apple, and began devouring it greedily. Within ten seconds the plump fruit had been stripped down to the core.

"Find Dusk," Ikubi commanded as he looped the strap of the Toolbox over his shoulder and tossed the apple core into one of the fires. "I need the two of you to question the locals. Find out anything you can about a dungeon called Murky Cave. Check the Kecleon brothers' shipment records if you can. Old Man Whiscash probably knows a thing or two."

"And when exactly did you expect us to get around to this?" Slag asked with a roll of his eyes, as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Right about now-ish," Ikubi replied as he made for the door. However, he had barely gone two steps before he found Slag standing squarely in his way, his stance unyielding and his expression hard as stone.

"Ikubi, what in Arceus' name is going on here?" Slag demanded. "First, you charge off to Mt. Freeze without as much as a 'See you later', much less even a plain seed to eat. Then you show up at two in the morning going on about some place I've never even heard of before. You're my best friend Ikubi, but you can't expect me to wake all of Pokémon Square without a good reason. Tell me what's going on."

For a moment, Ikubi stood in stubborn silence. When it became clear that Slag wasn't going to move without an answer he pushed past his friend without a word and began marching into the night. However, he hadn't gone two steps before Slag put a heavy hand on his shoulder, halting his motion and holding him in place.

"We don't have time for this, Slag," Ikubi said in a thoroughly irritated tone of voice, leering over his shoulder.

"Then make time," Slag said firmly, matching Ikubi's glare and tone perfectly. "You aren't going anywhere until you tell me what's going on here."

The tension began to rise in the air until it was almost palpable, and Slag could almost sense one of their fights coming on. He could feel Ikubi's muscles growing taut under his palm, and responded by tightening his grip. The mutual glare between the two was unflinching and cold, a testament to the aggravation that might well explode into physical violence the way it had so often before.

'Isn't that always how it starts, though?' Slag thought to himself. 'All it takes is for one of us to be in a bad mood, and the next thing either of us knows we're at each others throats.'

For a long, strained moment the two stared each other down, each preparing their own verbal jabs and waiting for the other to make a move. Neither seemed at all willing to back down. However, when it seemed that Slag was finally getting ready to throw a punch Ikubi sighed in a defeated manner.

"Alright, fine," he sighed, shrugging Slag's hand off his shoulder. "I just think it's a waste of time to explain things when we could be doing stuff."

After staring in thunderstruck silence for about ten seconds Slag gave a small cough, straightened his expression and took the chance to actually look his friend over. Now that he was closer, he could see the exhaustion that Ikubi was trying to hide. The trip to Mt. Freeze had worn on him more than he was willing to admit, and that fatigue was probably the reason he was relenting so easily.

"Ikubi," Slag explained, amazingly patient considering this was about the millionth time he'd done so, "it's important not to waste time, but what you don't seem to understand is that there is a point at which one stops being productive with their time and starts missing important steps along the way. Some things have to be done if I want to be able to help you. Now, come inside."

With that Slag took his friend by the arm and led him back into the base, offering him a seat at the table. Once Ikubi had sat down, at which point he started tapping his talons against the tabletop absently, Slag took the opposite seat and looked Ikubi full in the face with his fingers intertwined on the table.

"Now," he said calmly, "would you please be so kind as to tell me what on earth all this is about?"

-(000)-

Ten minutes later the story was told. Slag looked from Ikubi, who was wearing an inscrutable expression, to the Ninetails Crest sitting on the table beside them, quietly processing what he'd heard. Carefully he reached forward and picked up the crest itself. He examined it closely, taking in its white-gold color and carved fox tails.

"So you're supposed to take this little charm down to the bottom of Murky Cave, face some kind of test, and then Lily's back to normal?" he asked, still eyeing the small charm for a moment before setting it back on the table in front of Ikubi.

"That's about the size of it," Ikubi answered, picking up the crest and placing it carefully in the Toolbox. "So, are you gonna help me or not?"

"Ikubi, you know I will," Slag answered. "I'd follow you to the ends of the earth. I went with you to the sky, didn't I? Besides, I care about Lily too, even if I don't feel exactly the way you do." He leaned against the wall and sighed. "I just wish you'd slow down a little once in a while. Honestly, it's like you think the world will leave you behind if you wait at all. Sometimes it's better to stop every now and then."

"Right. Of course," Ikubi agreed earnestly, in the tone of voice that clearly told Slag that he hadn't listened to a word. The mud fish resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands, which took rather a lot of effort. Well, he'd never gotten through before. Why should now be any different?

"So, Murky Cave, eh?" he asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I can't say I've ever heard of the place. Doesn't sound all that pleasant, if the name is anything to go by. Still, someone in town has probably at least heard of it. I'll see what I can dig up. Dusk can tag along if he likes, but you know better than I do that he won't like starting before sun up. You'll be at the usual spot, I assume?"

"Yeah," Ikubi confirmed. He stood up, heading for the door, and then paused. "Hey Slag?"

"Yeah?" Slag responded, looking over his shoulder towards the door.

"Thanks for this," Ikubi said glancing back at his friend. "I appreciate it." Slag grinned.

"Would you just get going already?" he said in a mock weary voice. "I told you, I'm fine with it. If there's anything to scare up about this place, I'll do it. Don't worry." Ikubi smiled gratefully, and then headed out into the night.

Slag waited ten minutes, and then looked out the door. When he was satisfied that Ikubi was nowhere to be seen, he went back to his previous position at the doorframe and was fast asleep within the minute. He might not mind Ikubi waking him up in the middle of the night, but the rest of Pokémon Square was not so forgiving. Besides, Ikubi wouldn't mind if Slag waited until morning.

Well, so long as he didn't find out.

-(000)-

Ikubi inhaled slowly, held his breath, and focused. The wind blew quietly across the rock formations adorning the mouth of the Great Canyon, dragging sand and grit across their surfaces. Some massive constructs were easily the size of human skyscrapers, and many were bent in strange, yet oddly beautiful shapes. The dune grass rustled dryly in the low wind and small eddies of sand whipped around themselves like a Skitty chasing its tail.

This location was Ikubi's training ground. He came here whenever he had to wait for preparations to be made for a long or unknown exploration. Most people observing Ikubi at this location for the first time would marvel at the amount of forethought it would take to actively train before a difficult mission, and would wonder if this was really the famous hothead of Pokémon Square. However, before long they would realize the truth. Ikubi's 'training' consisted mainly of smashing as many things as he could to rubble. His times out here were really little more than sessions devoted to venting his impatience and energy.

At first Slag, and eventually Dusk once he'd signed up, thought that Ikubi was merely shirking the rather dull tasks of gathering intelligence. This was certainly true, but both very quickly stopped complaining because, lacking form though his 'training' did, constantly beating against stone had quickly bestowed Ikubi with very impressive strength. Even as a Torchic he could fairly arm wrestle a Hitmonchan with his head. As an adult Blaziken he could probably push a Snorlax up a steep hill.

Slag and Dusk just happened to round the bend in the rock wall between them and Ikubi the moment the latter sprang into motion. As the pair watched, Ikubi pushed off with his powerful legs, climbing 40…50…60 feet in the air. He was hurtling toward a column of rock as thick around as a redwood tree, his fist drawn back and his expression set. With a cry of animal fury Ikubi collided with the side of the column, driving his fist into it, and the air shattered with the sounding of crunching stone.

Ikubi fell to the ground and landed neatly on his feet, his impact causing the sand below him to puff outward in a small cloud. Slag and Dusk turned their gaze back up to the point of impact and saw a crater in the face of the rock the size of a minivan. As they watched, the severely damaged rock column began to crack even further, its structural integrity compromised by the massive hole in its face. The portion of the tower above the crater swayed dangerously, and then separated from the column with a massive crunching sound, collapsing to the dunes below with a thunderous boom.

Slag and Dusk made their way across the sandy clearing, hailing Ikubi once they were within shouting range. The trio met under the shade of a rocky overhang, Dusk still shaking some sand from his fur.

"What have you got for me?" Ikubi asked as he swept his hand across his arm a few times in a vain attempt to dislodge the grit that was sticking in his sweat-coated plumage. Slag sighed dejectedly.

"Not a whole lot, to be honest with you," he replied. "Most people in the square haven't even heard of the place. The Kecleon Brothers have no shipment records of any sort, so either it's one way or nothing worth getting comes through there. Either way we still don't know. The only things we got out of Old Man Whiscash were a legend about how the place is cursed or something, and how Poison Pokémon flock to the place like Dustox to a flame. Even the A.C.T. knew almost nothing about that place, though from what they know of Rescue Team lore they claim the place shouldn't be all that deep, 25 floors at the most."

Ikubi pondered the information available with a noticeably sour air. If there were legions of Poison Type Pokémon, then the effectiveness of half his arsenal would be cut. He would be forced to rely solely on his Fire Type attacks. And given what little else he knew about the place, he could barely make any sort of plan, assuming he wanted to. Which he didn't.

"It seems as though I'm flying into the unknown," he replied with a cocky grin. "Well, no time like the present. Might as well set out now. Slag, don't forget to make Lily's accommodations while I'm out." Slag rolled his eyes at that, but could not suppress a slight grin at the same time. Ikubi's stubborn attitude had gotten them in trouble more times than either of them would like to remember over the years, but it guaranteed that he would not return without achieving success. He was going to come back either with Lily in tow or in a coffin.

'He's stubborn as a cliff face and has an ego the size of a Snolax, but Lily couldn't have found a better person to fall for,' he thought with amusement. Who knows? She might even be able to mellow him a bit, now that she'd be staying with them permanently.

"Can you tell me where the entrance is at least?" Ikubi asked as he made to leave, looping the Toolbox onto his shoulder.

"That much, I can," Slag said, handing Ikubi a small map with a location marked on it. "That was one of the few things the A.C.T. was able to contribute. How they know, I couldn't tell you, but they've never been wrong yet."

Ikubi took the map, glanced at it for little more than a second, then tossed it into the Toolbox. "Slag, while I'm gone-" but Slag cut him off with a wave of his hand and a sigh.

"I know, I know," he said with mock exasperation. "I'm in charge." Ikubi rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"Drama king," he muttered with a grin.

"Spitfire," Slag shot back good naturedly.

Ikubi laughed, and then with a final wave headed off into the desert, soon lost to sight. Twenty minutes later he returned and walked in the other direction, the map in one hand and a sour expression on his face. Slag waited until Ikubi was out of earshot, and then burst out laughing while Dusk shook his head slowly.

-(000)-

_I'm back, baby._


	4. Encounter

**Chapter 4**

Encounter

_...hm? Someone approaches. How strange. I haven't had a visitor in a very long time. And what could he want with this place?_

…_well, well, well. He bears a crest. Could he actually be here to break a curse? Hm, let's have a look at him._

…_Oh, this is simply delicious. So many wonderful character flaws. I haven't seen such arrogance in years. I'll have to prepare something extra special for him._

_I think I'm going to enjoy this._

-(000)-

Ikubi eyed the entrance to Murky Cave with evident distaste, and for good reason. The cave was located underneath a poisonous bog, so the entrance consisted of an ugly hole in the middle of a peat mound seeping fetid water in a small river. Ugly green and yellow lichens grew all around the mouth of the cave, and horrible gut wrenching gurgling sounds could be heard from within the cavern itself. The effect was ultimately of a giant oozing, festering sore in the earth.

Ikubi checked the map, praying that he had somehow misinterpreted its directions in his haste. However, despite the overwhelming odds in favor of this outcome, he had actually managed to end up in the right place, and no matter how he considered the map he failed to arrive at any other conclusion. With a dejected sigh he sloshed over to the entrance and gazed unhappily into the eerie darkness.

'This is going to be disgusting,' he thought to himself, and jumped in.

He landed with a gooey splash in a pool of murky sludge that splashed as far up as his waist and clung horribly to his feathers. With a sick feeling in his stomach he began making his way through the knee deep slime, trying not to retch at the gut-churning sloshing noises the water made as he waded through. Finally, he reached a bank and stepped out onto relatively dry ground, doing his best to ignore the sickly sucking feeling as he pulled his legs free of the pool. He regarded his appearance unhappily to find that both his shins and parts of his thighs were covered with disgusting green slime. He tried wiping it off, but by now it was congealing into his feathers and all he managed to do was get some of the stuff on his hands.

Resolving not to leave the cleansing waters of a stream until he had managed to remove every last disgusting speck of filth from his body, Ikubi summoned a small cuff of fire around his wrist and waved it around to try and get a better look at the interior of Murky Cave. He did not like what little he could see. There was barely an inch of slime-free space in the cave. Sludge in flavors too numerous and unpleasant to number filled the foul pools and coated the floors and walls. Horrible half-rotted plants grew through the slime, clinging feebly to the walls or jutting pathetically from random locations across the floor. The only possible living creatures that might feel in any way at home here were the foulest of Poison Type Pokémon.

After looking around for a short time and becoming steadily queasier all the while, Ikubi spotted a hallway and began walking through it, trying his very best not to imagine what exactly he was walking through. As he walked, he failed to register that, underneath the slime, the floor on which he was walking was unnaturally smooth, far too much so even for a mere cave floor. He also failed to notice that what few clean patches of wall that could be seen were made of crumbling brick.

The first twenty minutes of exploring passed by rather uneventfully. Ikubi had by this point managed to descend three floors, picking up a surprising amount of Poke along the way. He remained vaguely cautious as he traveled along, for Poison Pokémon were fond of leaping out at a person when they weren't expecting it, but so far the most unpleasant thing that had happened to him was his falling face-first into a pool of slime. He failed to notice the new tracks trailing through the slime and the fresh deposits of goo across the ground. The gurgling sounds that somehow seemed to follow him wherever he went didn't even seem to register with him, as did the eyes that followed him from the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.

Ikubi carefully descended the hole leading to the fourth floor, not desiring another surprise slime bath. Settling carefully on 'dry' ground, he chose a direction at random and, guided by his flaming wrist, he began to march. However, after a short distance he began to slow until he finally came to a stop. He wasn't quite sure why, but for some reason he was beginning to notice an uneasy feeling in his gut that had nothing to do with nausea. It felt as thought there were unseen eyes upon him, watching him.

Only…it wasn't just watching. It went deeper than that. It felt as though he was being examined, and it wasn't skin deep either. It was as though something were scrutinizing the very fabric of his soul, and the feeling creeped him out. However, after shifting uneasily in place for a few moments Ikubi decided to ignore the feeling and keep walking.

_My, my. It's even worse than I thought. Such horrible flaws to be addressed._

Ikubi halted and whirled around, his wrists ablaze with flames hot enough to liquidate steel. Poised for combat he adopted a fighting stance and stood ready to do battle with…an empty hallway. After a slightly awkward pause Ikubi straightened up and quirked his head to the side in puzzlement. He would have sworn on his life that he had just heard a very eerie sounding voice come from right behind him, but as far as he could tell the hallway was utterly deserted. After a few moments' consideration, Ikubi shrugged, dismissing the event as meaningless. He gave a last glance down the hallway and then turned around to continue on his way. He did not even have a chance to open his mouth before he was thrown to the ground by a wall of slime.

Ikubi struggled fiercely with the Muk's slimy embrace, but he could gain no purchase of any sort on the creature's not-quite-solid body. It must have been lying in wait for him, camouflaged by the slime coating the floor and had evidently taken advantage of his momentary distraction. Ikubi knew that the creature would not willingly release him from its sludge body until he had either succumbed to the poison or suffocated to death.

Fortunately for Ikubi, he had the power of flames on his side. Muk absolutely hated anything to do with heat and light. Unfortunately, Ikubi decided to go about using his advantage by trying a Flamethrower. He opened his mouth, inhaled to prepare for the blast, and got a mouthful of toxic sludge instead. The first time this sort of thing had happened a few years ago, Slag had reasonably assumed that it was simply panic that had caused his friend to act without thinking. The fifth time, Slag had begun to wonder why Ikubi wasn't learning his lesson. By the nineteenth time he had privately decided to himself that Ikubi didn't have the patience to understand the concept of trial and error.

Ikubi was now most assuredly poisoned, and he could feel it. Muk slime was one of the most toxic substances on the face of the earth, and anything stupid enough to ingest it would die of all sorts of nasty diseases within minutes. Ikubi could already feel the fire growing in his chest, and the lack of air was causing white lights to pop in front of his eyes with alarming regularity. He continued to struggle weakly, but already the poison had entered his bloodstream. His body burned, and moving was becoming more and more difficult. Blackness began to creep into the edges of his vision.

The Muk suddenly spat him out with a sick splat, whimpering slightly in pain. Ikubi immediately gasped for air, clutching weakly at the ground and heaving great painful breaths. Without pausing to see whether he was still in danger of attack he crawled over to the Toolbox, which had fallen off his shoulder in the surprise attack. Opening it, he grabbed a handful of Pecha berries and stuffed them down his throat as fast as he could. He felt the berries citric acids begin eating away at the venom almost immediately. Unfortunately for Ikubi, he still had a stomach full of sludge that, while no longer toxic, was still very much unwelcome. His body chose the path of least resistance, and he proceeded to vomit a disgusting purple mix of digestive juice and slime all over the ground.

After about five minutes or so his stomach had settled to the point where it no longer felt like the inside of a washing machine. Ikubi very shakily got to his feet again, his limbs trembling weakly. A quick glance around the hallway revealed that the Muk who had assaulted him had scurried away. Why it had released him for no evident reason when it clearly had the advantage was something Ikubi couldn't grasp, but he wasn't about to complain.

Reaching into the Toolbox again, Ikubi pulled out an apple and began eating it slowly. Mercifully, the fruit helped settle his queasy stomach somewhat. When his intestines had more or less stopped churning he looped the Toolbox over his shoulder. Wiping his beak with the back of his hand and swallowing slightly, he continues on his way, utterly failing to notice how very blisteringly hot his body still was. Even to this day, Ikubi almost never noticed when his Blaze ability kicked in.

_Tut, tut. He doesn't stop to think at all, this one._ _Still, the fact that he could hear me was surprising. There's more to this one than meets the eye, though how much more remains to be seen…_

-(000)-

The farther Ikubi descended into Murky Cave, the more creeped out and disgusted he became. With every floor the slime and muck increased in quantity, and some of the stuff was so vile that it was actually mildly acidic. The stench of death and decay only intensified with every step forward, and Ikubi was inwardly grateful that he was not a Poochyena. With a nose that sensitive, the smell would probably have killed him by now.

Poison Pokémon quickly became as abundant as the sludge itself, and Ikubi had been poisoned more times than he could count by the time he'd reached the 20th floor. It was sheer dumb luck that the Toolbox happened to be stocked with enough Pecha Berries and Heal Seeds to keep Ikubi alive this far. Without them, his insides would most likely have liquidated long before.

Even if he wasn't going to die of poison, he was still battered and bruised from a seemingly endless onslaught of Muks, Swalots, Dustox, and even a few Ghost Types. His body was covered in bruises, small cuts, more slime than one could shake the proverbial stick at, and digestive juice. Apparently, to the Swalots in this cave, fresh Blaziken was something of a delicacy. He even had a few bald patches in his coat where the odd Acid attack had melted through his feathers to the skin underneath. He looked utterly woebegone, and it seemed as though force of will was the only thing causing him to continue putting one foot in front of the other.

And that was only the aesthetic value of the place. If Ikubi had gotten a bad feeling as early on as the fourth floor, it was ten times worse now. Something was very wrong with this place, and even someone with as little observation skills as Ikubi could sense it. With every level descended, the cavern seemed to grow darker and more suffocating. The howling of wind through the tunnels, normally a fairly common phenomenon as far as caves went, grew more eerie and haunting the deeper Ikubi traveled. And he still could not shake the feeling that something was watching him very closely. It felt as though an arrow was sighted directly at his heart, and the sensation sent a shiver straight up his spine.

Then there were the Ghost types. Why were they here? The first time Ikubi had noticed, or more precisely been attacked by, one he'd been merely startled, but the more he saw the more he surprised himself by wondering about them. It was true that they were generally drawn to dark, eerie places, but even they normally wouldn't be able to tolerate the amount of filth and slime in Murky Cave. They preferred a certain level of hygiene, just like the rest of the world. There was also the matter that they, like everyone else, generally found the uncivilized Poison types found in mystery dungeons to be repulsive company. So why would they hang around a place like this?

Unfortunately, Ikubi didn't have very long to ponder this before something small launched itself at the back of his head, latched onto the feathers adorning his scalp, and proceeded to yank sharply. With a sudden cry of surprise and pain Ikubi began lurching about attempting to swat the whatever-it-was off his head, but it was anchored like a barnacle to the underside of a Wailord.

For a few minutes Ikubi blundered about trying to remove his painful hitchhiker who, after hearing her voice and having his scalp yanked on a few more times, he eventually managed to identify as a Misdreavus. After it became clear that he was going to have to be more persuasive in telling her to get off him, he cast about quickly for a plan. As usual, he immediately went with the first course of action that came to mind. Positioning himself with his back to a wall, he bent forward at the waist and swung his upper body backward as hard as he could.

Ikubi evidently had expected the Misdreavus to be caught between his head and the wall. Instead, he suddenly felt as though his skull had split open by a hammer as his head slammed full force into the wall without meeting any sort of resistance from the Misdreavus whatsoever.

Ikubi wobbled shakily for a second, and might have fallen over from dizziness had the Misdreavus not continued pulling painfully on his feathers and doing a surprisingly good job of focusing his attention. Now noticeably angrier, Ikubi decided a more personal approach and swung his own fist around in an attempt to squash the Misdreavus between it and his skull. Another deep spike of pain burrowed into his head when his fist connected squarely with the back of his skull, again with no resistance from the Misdreavus.

This time Ikubi could not avoid falling over as he pitched face first into the slimy floor bruised his beak upon impact. The Misdreavus laughed delightedly at this and continued tugging on Ikubi's head. However, it failed to get any further reaction besides a slight groan and quickly became bored with the limp Blaziken. Deciding that now it wanted to try and find someone else to bother, it detached itself from his head and flew through a nearby wall. For about five minutes Ikubi did nothing except lie in place and wait for the ringing in his head to stop. Finally, when moving didn't hurt quite so much anymore he slowly rose to his feet. As he did so he gingerly felt his skull and was relieved to find that it was still more or less in one piece.

"You don't think things through very carefully, do you?"

Ikubi whirled around at the sound of the dry, raspy voice and without shoved his fist straight through the Shedinja that had appeared behind him. Apparently he was used to this sort of thing, because he did not seem at all perturbed by the fact that he had an upper arm through his head. After a slightly awkward pause Ikubi withdrew his hand, and the Shedinja was kind enough not to cite the example as proof of his statement.

Ikubi tensed and adopted a fighting stance, prepared to do battle. However, the Shedinja simply hovered in place and watched him calmly without the slightest trace of animosity. After about ten minutes it became clear that the Shedinja meant no harm, and so Ikubi relaxed and took the time to actually look him over. He was a classic case example of the species resembling nothing so much as the shed exoskeleton of a large insect. His body looked thin and papery, and it seemed as though the spectral presence inhabiting it wasn't quite the right shape, for parts of the body bulged slightly while others sagged. His eyes remained minute slits and never moved whatsoever. Ikubi knew that if the Shedinja turned around he would see a large jagged hole in his back where the evolving Nincada had escaped from its molted shell.

"You'll want to be careful with that room over there," the Shedinja rasped without pretense in its rattling voice, indicating with a slight lurch of its body a doorway that Ikubi had not seen before despite having wandered around this floor for a good half hour or so. However, he was willing to bet that this was the place where he ultimately wanted to end up.

"Some of the people who go in there never come out," the Shedinja murmured gravely. "And some of the people who come out never went in." Then, without elaborating in the slightest, the Shedinja floated backward eerily, still keeping its hollow, dead eyes on Ikubi. It kept retreating until it met a wall and silently melted through the slime, vanishing like a shadow before the sun.

Ikubi stared quizzically after it for a few seconds, trying to puzzle what the meaning of that cryptic warning could be. After a short while he decided that all this thinking was making his head hurt and turned on his heel. With a confident stride he marched quickly across the hall and into the room, the Shedinja's warning already discarded to the back corners of his mind.

The first thing Ikubi noticed about the room on the other side of the doorway was that the walls curved inward from the doorway, creating a somewhat circular chamber. By his rough estimation the square footage of the room could probably have fit into the Rescue Base with a little space left over, but when he looked upward to observe the ceiling he found himself staring up at least ten feet or so. The walls were, as per the status quo, covered with thick muck. However, this slime didn't seem quite as fluid as what Ikubi had seen so far. He walked over to one of the walls and, against his better judgment, felt the purple substance. To his surprise the slime felt hard and brittle, and when he tried he was able to break a small portion off in his hand. This room was evidently very old for this volume of sludge to have dried out like this.

Ikubi spent about ten minutes looking around the room trying to figure out exactly what he was supposed to do. After a short while he began to grow even more uneasy that he already was. Something about this room seemed…abnormal. Somehow it felt as though this room hung suspended within a single moment in time. The air hung still without a single noise to break the total silence. An unnatural chill permeated the air, causing goose bumps to erupt all across Ikubi's skin. Even the smell seemed out of place. The aroma of toxic fumes that had reeked all throughout Murky Cave was replaced by an old musty scent, like a stone chamber coated with the dust of centuries.

After orbiting the room three times Ikubi finally noticed that part of the wall bulged out slightly, breaking the smooth circle of the walls. Closer examination of the bulge revealed nothing much because it was coated by a thick layer of congealed slime. With a slight grimace Ikubi raised his fist and dropped it firmly on the hardened sludge, shattering it. Mercifully the slime had hardened all the way through, so Ikubi only had to remove hardened chunks instead of being forced to scrape wet slime away. Underneath the concealing layer of sludge was a stone altar. The structure was old and worn with the ages, but it was evident from the crumbling designs etched into its surface that it had once been elegant and beautiful. In the very center of the altar's surface was a small rough-hewn hole.

Ikubi spent about 30 seconds staring at the stone hole trying to figure out exactly what he was supposed to do when he suddenly remembered the Ninetails crest he was carrying. Fumbling it out of the Toolbox, he held it gingerly between thumb and forefinger and slid it into the hole. He had expected the crest to be a perfect fit, but it actually slid halfway down the hole before it could not fall any further. What Ikubi didn't notice was that the hole consisted of many different shaped grooves layered on top of one another, almost as though the hole was meant to accept more than one offering.

Ikubi withdrew his hand and waited patiently for something to happen. After about five seconds of that he began pacing agitatedly around the room, glancing around sharply as though expecting something amazingly dramatic to suddenly occur. Occasionally he would stop by the altar and lean one elbow against it, tapping his talons agitatedly on the stone surface.

"Alright then…" he muttered out loud. "Where's the ripple dissolve? Where're the special effects? C'mon, how does this curse breaking thing work?"

Suddenly a chill raced up Ikubi's spine, causing him to freeze in place. When one enters a place of total silence one quickly gets used to hearing only silence. Therefore even the tiniest sound will draw attention to itself like the explosion of a firework, and Ikubi would have bet his life that he had just heard something.

Cautiously, half-hoping he had simply imagined it Ikubi strained his ears as he looked around the room, which was still totally empty. He started suddenly as the sound came again, and now that he was listening for it he could tell what it was. A disembodied voice was coming from…somewhere. Ikubi could discern neither its origin nor its message, but with a tremor he realized that it was slowly getting louder.

"w-l-om-…"

"Wel-om- to…"

Ikubi looked in vain to find some sort of location from which the voice issued. It seemed to come from everything around him; the walls, the altar, even the slime. It sounded…he didn't even know how to describe what it sounded like, it was so strange. Despite all his better judgment Ikubi continued to strain his ears, trying to hear the voice clearly despite the fact that he wasn't at all sure he wanted to hear it at all.

"Wel-ome to M-rk…"

"Welcome to Mu…"

"Welcome to Murky Cave!"

Ikubi nearly fell over backwards as the voice sharply transitioned from a still fairly inaudible whisper to a sudden and complete presence in less than a second. With his heart threatening to leap straight out of his chest, Ikubi whipped futilely around the room yet again despite the fact that it stubbornly persisted in remaining empty.

"Who's there?" he demanded. "What's going on? Who are you?"

"Peace, Ikubi, peace," the voice said calmly. "I mean you no harm. You are safe. I am the judge of darkness, keeper of the curses, and passer of judgment. I am here to present your trial to you."

"Where are you?" Ikubi demanded, still looking futilely around and utterly failing to notice the use of his name despite not having given it. The idea that there was someone here that he could not see and consequently beat up if matters became grave enough scared him. "Show yourself!"

"Calm down, please," the judge said soothingly, in an obvious attempt to calm the ruffled bird. "I assure you, I am no threat to you. I merely-"

"Listen, 'your honor'," Ikubi snapped, cutting the voice off as he folded his arms defiantly. "I don't think much of your manners, hiding away like this. Why don't you come out from behind the…wherever-you-are and show yourself?"

There was a slight pause at this outburst, and then the judge made a slight tutting sound.

"Well, I can't say I very much like your manners either, Ikubi," he said patiently. "However, since you insist so forcefully, I suppose I can oblige you. Besides, I haven't stretched my 'legs' in a good thousand years or so."

The figure came into being without the slightest bit of flourish. There was no flash, no bang, no display of any sort. One moment he wasn't there, the next he was. The judge appeared to be a humanoid individual, perhaps even truly human. He was dressed in an immaculate white tuxedo with an elegant white cape, tall white top hat and a cane that came up to his waist. Apart from his fine dress, he seemed no different from a human except for his head. His face didn't exist. The only thing to see was a mass of black…something that separated the judge's hat from his shoulders.

"Is that better?" the figure asked calmly, with just a tiny hint of amusement.

"Somewhat," Ikubi replied levelly, evidently creeped out by the figure standing before him.

The judge responded to this with a slight tip of his hat and then began looking Ikubi up and down, a fact that could only be determined by the movements of his hat.

"You know," the judge said after a fashion. "You could do with a decent cleaning up. You look terrible." He inclined his head a fraction, and suddenly the air seemed to tense slightly. One could sense that a minor influx of power was being called into play.

Immediately the various acids, slimes, and other such fluids covering Ikubi's body vanished completely. The missing feather patches were also grown back, so that Ikubi looked as clean and polished as the day he had set out. Ikubi started with surprise at the sudden change and looked himself over with disbelief.

"What sort of Pokémon are you?" he asked suspiciously as his gaze returned to the judge, his eyes more than a touch wary now. Even someone as oblivious as Ikubi could tell that this creature was a lot more powerful than he appeared to be.

The judge gave a small chuckle.

"Oh, I'm not a Pokémon of any sort," he replied cheerily. "I'm one of those other types out there. Don't ask me what I really am. You wouldn't understand anyway. Now, shall we proceed to your trial?"

-(000)-

_Sorry for the long wait, everyone. Hope this was worth it._


End file.
